18:1  "I love You, O LORD, my strength."

18:2  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

18:3  I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

18:4  The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.

18:5  The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

18:6  In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

18:7  Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.

18:8  Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.

18:9  He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet.

18:10  He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind.

18:11  He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

18:12  From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire.

18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

18:14  He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.

18:15  Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

18:16  He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

18:17  He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

18:18  They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay.

18:19  He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

18:20  The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

18:21  For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.

18:22  For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.

18:23  I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.

18:24  Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

18:25  With the kind You show Yourself kind; With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

18:26  With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

18:27  For You save an afflicted people, But haughty eyes You abase.

18:28  For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.

18:29  For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.

18:30  As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

18:31  For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God,

18:32  The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless?

18:33  He makes my feet like hinds' {feet,} And sets me upon my high places.

18:34  He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

18:35  You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.

18:36  You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

18:37  I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

18:38  I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet.

18:39  For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

18:40  You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.

18:41  They cried for help, but there was none to save, {Even} to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

18:42  Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

18:43  You have delivered me from the contentions of the people; You have placed me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me.

18:44  As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners submit to me.

18:45  Foreigners fade away, And come trembling out of their fortresses.

18:46  The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

18:47  The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me.

18:48  He delivers me from my enemies; Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man.

18:49  Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.

18:50  He gives great deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.